Method of making footwear



Oct. 24, 1939. SPElER 2,177,603

II ETHOD OF MAKING FOOTWEAR Filed Sept. 1, 1938 2 Shoots-Sheet 1 Fig.1

INVENTOR LIIO'MZ/ E Jpeter BY \klmr k ATTORNEY Oct. 24, 1939. L. E. SPEIER IBTHOD OF MAKING FOOTWEAR Filed Sept. 1, 1938 2 sheets-sheet 2 r i Mm 5 Mm @Y MB Patented Oct. 24, 1939 PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF MAKING FOOTWEAR Ludwig E. Speier, Norwalk, Conn., assignor to The Sherman Bros. Mtg. 00., Incorporated, South Norwalk, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application September 1, 1938, Serial No. 227,905

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements and construction in a method of making a padded soft sole shoe or slipper.

It is the principal object of the invention to provide a slipper or shoe with an improved solid heel portion designed to elevate the heel and to form a rigid support for the arch of the foot.

It is another object of the invention to provide a slipper or shoe with a heel insert which forms an 7 improved unitary structure with the vamp and main sole of the shoe.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a slipper or shoe which is conducive to comfort of the wearer and of high ornamental appearance.

It is another object of the invention to produce a slipper or shoe with less expense than shoes of a similar type made according to proposals prior to this invention, and of a construction at least as sturdy as such more expensive slippers.

Still another object of the invention resides in providing a new method of producing slippers or shoes, particularly of the type mentioned above, by a series of simple steps, which may be performed with very little manual skill and effort, and within a short space of time.

A feature of the invention for attaining these objects is the provision of a slipper or shoe with a solid heel portion extending from the rear end of the shoe substantially to the forward end of the shank portion thereof.

Another feature of the invention resides in forming a slipper or shoe of two separate units,

and combining these units in such a manner as to .form a single unitary structure.

A further feature of the invention resides in providing a solid insert in the rear portion of a slipper or shoe, and securing the insert within a cover or pocket and to the shank and heel portions of the main sole.

Still another feature of the present invention resides in securing the insert within the slipper or shoe by a coating of adhesive material pro- 5 .vided on the insert.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following detail description and the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the slipper or shoe 50 in one stage of its production.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the slipper or shoe in a further stage of construction with the padding only sewed at the front and to the outer sole, and the outer sole broken away in the rear to show 55 the padding more clearly.

(Cl. 12-142l Fig. 3 shows the slipper or shoe in a third stage and after turning.

Fig. 4 is a view of the slipper or shoe, partially in section, during the next step of its production.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the rear upper unit 5 of the slipper or shoe.

Fig. 6 shows the complete slipper or shoe after its assembly.

Before describing the present improvements and mode of operation thereof in detail it should 10 be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings, which are merely illustrative of the present preferred embodiments, since the invention is capa- 15 ble of other embodiments, and the phraseology employed is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. I

Referring to the drawings in detail, the invention consists in providing a shoe or slipper I0 20 with an insert H which extends from the rear end of the shoe or slipper to a line approximately at the forward end of the shank portion thereof, so that the sole of the shoe is inflexible at the rear of the ball portion of the foot and prevents the 25 arch from breaking down.

Preferably, the first step in the new method of manufacturing such a slipper or shoe consists of assembling a vamp l2 of any desired material, shape, or style and consisting, for example, of 30 two parts l3 and it which are fitted and sewed together by a line or lines of stitching I5 with their finished side turned inwardly as customary in the art of making turned shoes or slippers.

Thereupon, a heel cover or pocket It, likewise 35 of any desired kind of material, and which has been previously shaped to fit around the insert H, is coated at its upper edge I! with a ribbon l8 of a suitable adhesive, for example, latex cement. The heel cover I6, likewise with its finished side 40 turned inwardly, is then fitted and stitched to the .vamp l2 by a line of stitching l9.

An outer sole 20 which extends the entire length of the shoe, is then applied and secured to both the vamp l2 and the heel cover It by a line of stitching 2| extending along the entire outer edge of the sole and at both sides thereof. Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 2, suitable layers of padding 22 are sewed to the projecting edges 23 of the main sole 20, the vamp l2 and the heel cover It by stitching 24, whereupon the slipper or shoe, as far as it is then completed, is turned. The heel insert II which is next applied to the slipper or shoe, preferably consists of a relatively unyielding material, such as wood. However, if

desired, it may be made of resilient or any other type of material such as leather, rubber or the like. As shown in the drawings, the upper surface 25 of the insert ll gradually curves down to a sharp edge 26, and the insert II is of such length as to terminate approximately at a line lying vertically below the forward end of the arch of the wearer's foot, that is, substantially at the rear end of the ball portion of the slipper or shoe. The forward end of the insert H is shaped to flare outwardly at both sides thereof in accordance with the shape of the main-sole 20 and to support the. forward end of the arch of the foot at each side thereof. The upper surface of the rear portion of the insert is preferabiy slightly hollowed out'to receive and accommodate the quarter unit 2'! and to provide a proper supporting-surface for the heel of the foot.

Next, the heel insert i I which has been provided with a hole 28 in its upper surface, is coated on all sides with a layer of adhesive material 29, such as for example, latex cement,

preferably by dipping the entire insert into such material or by applying the cement by means of a brush or in any other suitable manner. Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 4, the insert is placed upon the upper end of a spindle 3B projecting from a solid support, and the turnedheel cover liis applied over the coated insert II and pulled tightly around thesame, for example by means of lasting pinchers or any other suitable means,

so that the cover It is cemented completely to the insert by the coating on the latter, as also by the ribbon of cement It on the inner sideof the cover l6 along the upper edge thereof. If desired, additional pressure may be applied to the cover by any suitable means to assure a good bond between the cover and theinsert. By such application and tight fitting of the cover l6, the

padding 22 of the main sole20 is also cemented to the insert and secured thereto. Thereafter the slipper or shoe is placed on a last and the entire edge of the main sole 20 isheaded and finished in a conventional manner, which operation completes the manufacture of the main unit 3| of the shoe.

Next, the quarter 32 and the counter 33 which have been previously cut from any suitable materials are assembled and cemented to each other in a conventional manner. Thence, a so-called half inner sole 34 which extends from the rear end of the heel portion a short distance beyond the forward end of the insert II, is placed unto the quarter 32,.and the quarter is secured to the half inner sole 3! by cementing, nailing or any other suitable means. The complete unit 21 is then placed upon a last and allowed to dry.

After both units 21 and 3| have sufficiently dried, they are taken off their respective lasts and are secured to each other in the position shown in Fig. 6 for example by nails which are driven through the half inner sole 34 into the insert ll either mechanically by a wood heel nailing machine or similar apparatus, or by hand. 'I'he shank portion 25. of the half inner sole is also secured tightly to the corresponding portion oi the insert mechanically or by hand, whereupon a sock lining 38 is placed into the slipper or shoe and secured thereto in the usual manner.

The new method of making shoes or slippers possesses the distinct advantages over other methods known prior to the invention in that various steps considered essential in such prior methods have been omitted. Particularly, by

same into abath of adhesive material, and then applying the enclosing elements thereto, the inv sert is-used to secure the entire quarter unit 21 to the main unit and to combine the heel cover I 8 with the main sole 20, and padding 22 thereof. Furthermore, by securing the heel cover it to the rear ends of the'vamp l2, the entire heel portion of the shoe, including the quarter unit 21 and the insert H; is likewise secured to the vamp l2 and 'to the forward portion of the sole. Therefore, a considerable amount of nailing, tacking tomary with prior proposals, has been omitted. The new method of making. slippers or shoes, therefore, requires for itsperformance less man"- particularly the and sewing, cusual labor and operation of machinery and may be executed with greater ease and withina By using difierent kinds of materials'for making the quarter, the heel cover and the vamp, or materials of diiferent color, a variety of artistic effects. maybe obtained and slippers or shoes be formed which, although of identical construc tion, may possess totally different appearance. Although certain aspects of the present inventionare applicable to the manufacture of turned shoes and slippers generally, the present invention as described and claimed is directed primarily to improvements in shoes and slippers having a padded soft sole.

'Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention .and portions of the improvements may-be used without others.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. The method of making a turn article of footwear .comprising the steps of providing a wedge-type solid heel and arch support having a recess partly therethrough to receive a holding jack spindle during turning; providing a forward vamp and a rearward heel cover; sewing said vamp and said heel cover wrong-side out to a sole; securing a padding'to said sole; turning the vamp; mounting said heel and arch support on a jack spindle and turning the heel cover thereon; cementing the heel cover to the heel and arch support; removing said cemented assembly from the spindle; providing an inner sole and a quarter secured to the inner sole; and attaching the inner sole to the wedge-type support.

2. The method of making a turn article of footwear comprising the steps of providing a wedgetype solid heel and arch support having a configuration to receive during turning a holding element interfitting therewith; providing a forward vamp and a rearward heel cover; sewing said vamp and said heel cover wrong side out to a sole; securing a padding to said sole; turning the vamp; mounting said heel and arch support on said interfitting holding element and turning the heel cover thereon; cementing the heel cover to the heel and arch support; removing said cemented assembly from interfitting relation with said holding element; providing an inner sole and a quarter secured to the inner sole; and attaching the inner sole to the wedge-type support.

3. The method of making a turn article of solid heel support having a. recess partly therethrough to receive a. holding jack spindle during turning; providing a forward vamp and rearward heel cover; sewing said vamp and said heel cover wrong. side out to a. sole; securing a. padding to said sole; turning the vamp; mounting said solid heel support on a. jack spindle and turning the heel cover thereon; cementing the heel cover to the recessed heel support; removing said cemented assembly from the spindle; providing an inner sole and a quarter secured to the inner sole; and attaching the inner sole to the solid heel 5 support.

LUDWIG E. SPEIER. 

